Waste pipe processing photovoltaic bracket

Can solar PV be used in the wastewater sector?

This work informs the broader community on the status of adoption of solar PV in the wastewater sector. Energy utilities could benefit from knowing how the energy demand and consumption of the wastewater sector as a whole is changing as a result of the adoption of this renewable energy technology.

Is solar PV uptake in wastewater treatment influenced by plant size?

Detailed review of solar PV uptake in wastewater treatment. Identification of key influence of plant size in current solar PV use. 1 MW is the most popular size of solar PV system installed. In plants with flow rate above 5 MGD solar PV is installed with anaerobic digestion.

Why do wastewater treatment plants use solar PV?

In wastewater treatment plants with a flow rate below 5 MGD, the absence of energy generation from biogas could have led the adoption of solar PV. In these plants, solar PV often represented the only source of renewable energy, producing between 30% and 100% of the energy demand of these plants.

Can solar PV and biogas be combined in a high-strength wastewater treatment system?

Bustamante and Liao (2017) successfully combined solar PV with biogas in a hybrid configuration to achieve energy self-sufficiency in a high-strength wastewater treatment system.

Which wastewater treatment plant has a solar PV installation?

The wastewater treatment plant treating 165 MGD with a 4.2 MW solar system installed was the biggest plant with a solar PV installation. However, this plant presented unique conditions, which made it non-representative of global practices.

Can floating solar photovoltaic systems be used in waste water treatment systems?

A practical alternative is to develop floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) systems, where the PV modules are floated on water. Technical assessment and feasibility study of FSPV systems are not well addressed. This paper presents the adoption of FSPV system on waste water treatment systems as large water surfaces are available.